Resource Guide to Coming Out

Resource Guide to Coming Out

Coming out and living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or supportive straight person is an act of bravery and authenticity. Whether it’s for the first time ever, or for the first time today, coming out may be the most important thing you will do all day.

BEING OPEN WITH YOURSELF
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rom birth, most of us are raised to think of ourselves as fitting into a certain mold. Our culture and our
families teach us that we are “supposed” to be attracted to people of a different sex, and that boys and girls are supposed to look, act and feel certain ways.
Few of us were told we might fall in love with someone of the same sex, or that we might have a gender identity that differs from the body into which we were born. That’s why so many of us are scared, worried or confused when facing these truths.
“It’s those first five minutes in coming out to your friends or acquaintances that are really the hardest. But after that, things get better than before because there’s nothing standing in between you anymore.”
Opening up to the possibility that you may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or even just questioning means opening up to the idea that you’re on a path that’s your own. It’s also why coming out and living ever more openly is a profoundly liberating experience.
In the end, just as at the beginning, the first person you have to be open with is yourself.
Throughout the coming out process, it’s normal to feel: ■ Scared ■ Confused ■ Vulnerable ■ Empowered ■ Exhilarated ■ Relieved ■ Proud ■ Uncertain ■ Brave ■ Affirmed
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